Cant afford an EV?
Not willing to give up on a classic car?
Want to eschew rising fuel prices?
There are lots of good reasons to increaseyour cars fuel economy.
But one thing you might want to consider is running your car on vegetable oil.
I took a deep dive, and Im sharing all I learned with you about making the switch.
Not all cars are equal
Firstly, not all cars can run on straight vegetable oil.
Older crappier diesel engine cars are most suitable to run on cooking oil.
A modern diesel engine is most suited to biofuel.
Ok, so what is biofuel?
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Accordingtothe US Energy Information Administrationbiofuels are fuels made of natural products like ethanol and biodiesel.
Plant starches and sugars like beet sugar are a source of ethanol.
Biodiesel comes from new and used vegetable oils and animal fats.
Planes, trains and…?
Vegetable oil is not just limited to cars.
you’re able to even convertmotorbikesandschool buses, as long as they feature diesel engines.
The aim is to achieve certification of 100% SAF by the end of this decade.
How easy and effective is running your car on vegetable oil in reality?
Mythbustersconducted a test on running a car on french fry oil in 2008.
They drove a car on a track, first using diesel, and then used french fry oil.
The car running on vegetable oil reached a very serviceable 30mpg compared to the 33mpg on a diesel car.
Your car should run fine without any ill effects.
This ensures good health of thecarfor the long term.
Specialist companies make and sellthe hardware neededto convert vehicles to properly run on waste vegetable oil.
Make friends with a local restaurant
How do you feel about fries?
How about a Ford or Chevy running on biofuel?
E85 (or flex fuel) is a gasoline-ethanol blend containing 51% to 83% ethanol.
Examples of such vehicles include theChevrolet Silverado 4WD and Ford F-150 2WD FFV.
What are the pros and cons of vegetable oil fuel?
Pros:
Cons:
So, theres a lot to think about.
But if you have an old banger and live close to a burger bar, whats stopping you?
WVO(waste vegetable oil) has detailed information, including sourcing oil, legalities, and technical info.
Story byCate Lawrence
Cate Lawrence is an Australian tech journo living in Berlin.
